Timing device



CINVENTORS .BALL

F. BOVA I PD E A g USTAVE jCHARD ATTORNE;

1955 a. c. BALLENTYNE EIAL TIMING DEVICE Filed Jan. 26, 1953 United States Patent Ofiice 2,720,921 Patented Oct. 18, 1955 TIMING DEVICE Gustave C. Ballentyne and Richard F. Bovard, Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii Application January 26, 1953, Seriai No. 333,184 3 Claims. c1. 161-15) This invention relates to timing devices and particularly to an instrument designed to indicate clearly when a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

The device of the present invention resembles an ordinary pocket or wristwatch with a single hand driven by a conventional horological mechanism and a dial for measuring the movement of the hand from a set position indicating a number of minutes to a zero position. The invention was made with the particular thought in mind of providing a convenient pocket piece that would serve to remind the user of the time elapsing with respect to the setting of an automobile parking meter. However it will be readily adaptable to various other uses both domestic and commercial. For example any timed operational process such as baking, drying or soaking a product may be accurately and conveniently checked by its use.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a timing device of the character described that may be quickly and conveniently set for any predetermined time period and just as easily reset to a zero position and to provide therein a simple means to prevent accidental setting or resetting.

A further object is the provision of a convenient pocket piece upon which time is readable in minutes to go toward the end of a predetermined period.

One form which the invention may assume is illustrated in the accompanying drawings to which reference is made in the following specification wherein further of its objects and advantages are made apparent.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a timing device embodying the present invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in front elevation of the same device with the crystal and dial removed and with a portion broken away,

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a locking slide shown in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2 to illustrate the construction of the setting plunger and the reset plunger.

In its general appearance, the device of the present invention is, as shown in Fig. 1, like that of a conventional watch with the exception that it has an actuating plunger for convenient setting, an actuating plunger 11 for resetting to zero and a locking slide actuator 12. A single hand 13 on the device is comparable to the minute hand of a conventional watch and the dial is numbered from zero in a counter-clockwise direction in increments of twelve minutes with a single five minute period also shown. This numbering of the dial is for convenience in use with parking meters, many of which are operated on a basis of five cents per hour and may be actuated for twelve minute intervals by the insertion of pennies.

A brief description of the function of the device will facilitate an understanding of its operating mechanism. The hand 13 is driven in the manner of the minute hand of a conventional watch by a spring driven movement wound by the usual stem shown at 14. The hand may at any time be set to zero by depression of the reset actuating plunger 11 and may be moved in a counter-clockwise direction by depression of the actuating plunger 10. Each full depression of the plunger 10 moves the hand through an arc corresponding to twelve minutes so, assuming that a parking meter operates on the basis of twelve minutes for one cent, the plunger 10 is depressed once for each cent inserted in the parking meter and the hand 13 will thus be spaced from Zero a distance corresponding to the time for which the parking meter has been set. The locking slide 12 is then moved in a counter-clockwise direction a short distance to latch the plungers 10 and 11 against further or accidental depression and the hand 13 proceeds toward the zero on the dial thus always indicating the number of minutes remaining or time to go until the paid parking time elapses. Through the use of a device of this kind it is unnecessary to remember the time as indicated on an ordinary watch when the parking meter was set and the user, whether shopping or engaging in business transactions, is relieved af the necessity of computting the time on an ordinary watch dial as a quick glance at the timing device clearly indicates the remaining time for parking or other operation in connection with which the device is used.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, the device is shown as contained in a conventional watch case 16 with the usual back 17, crystal frame 18 and crystal 19. The back and crystal frame may snap or screw into place as desired. A spring actuated horological movement is disposed between a main plate 2%) and back plate 21 but since this movement does not constitute a part of the present invention, it is not shown with the exception of the usual center pinion illustrated at 22. A face plate 23 is disposed directly in front of the main plate of the movement and the dial which is shown at 24 overlies the face plate and is spaced therefrom as by supporting posts 25. Intermediate the dial and the face plate is a setting ratchet 26 to which is secured a ferrule 27 mounted on the center pinion 22. The ferrule 27 is connected to the pinion by friction means not shown which, as in conventional watch mechanisms permits it to be driven by the pinion but enables it to be rotated independently of the pinion for the purpose of setting the hand which it supports and drives.

In order to move the hand 13 counter-clockwise, a pawl 29 (see Fig. 2) is pivotally supported on a lever 30 for engagement upon swinging of the lever with the teeth of the ratchet 26. The lever 30 is pivotally supported as by a pin 31 and is urged toward its inoperative posi tion by a spring 32. A spring 33 is carried by the lever 30 and engages the pawl 29 to urge it toward its operative or ratchet engaging position. However, when the lever 30 is swung toward the left as viewed in Fig. 2, the pawl 29 engages a fixed pin 34 which holds it out of engagement with the ratchet teeth. The lever 30 is swung toward the right by depression of the actuator 10 which is slidably mounted in the watch case as shown and which engages a setting plunger 35 (see also Fig. 4). This setting plunger is guided for sliding movement in slots formed in the face plate 23 and the main plate 20. The setting plunger 35 engages and swings the lever 30 about its pivotal support 31 through a distance limited by a stop pin 36 against which a shoulder 37 on the lever 30 strikes. This distance corresponds to a twelve minute interval as indicated by movement of the hand over the dial. A guide 38 overlies the lever 30 to retain it in its proper plane of operation. During this swinging movement of the lever, the pawl 29 engages the teeth of the ratchet 26 to rotate it in a counter-clockwise direction and because the hand 13 is supported on the ferrule 27 carried by the ratchet, it will swing through an arc representing twelves minutes each time that the plunger 10 is fully depressed. A slow partial depression of the plunger 10 will serve to move the hand 13 any desired distance between the 12 minute intervals measured by the position of the stop pin 36. In order quickly to reset the hand 13 to zero from any position, a heart-shaped or centering cam 40 is connected against rotation with respect to the ratchet 26 and ferrule 27 as by a hollow shaft shown at 41 as surrounding the center pinion 22. This cam is engageable by a flat end 42 of a reset plunger 43 slidable, as is the setting plunger 35, in suitable slots, formed in the main plate 20 and the face plate 23. The outer end of the plunger 43 is engaged by the reset actuating plunger 11 so that upon depression of the actuator 11 engagement of the cam 40 at any point will cause it and the hand 13 to rotate to a zero position; the zero position of the cam 40 being that shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Both the setting plunger 35 and the reset plunger 43 are resiliently retained in their normal outward positions by a single spring shown at 45 in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and also shown in Fig. 4 as bearing outwardly against rearwardly extending fingers 46 on both of the plungers.

In order to prevent accidental depression of either of the plungers 10 or 11 after the timing device has been set, a locking slide best shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is operable by the actuator 12 disposed outside the periphery of the watch case. The slide comprises an arcuate member formed in two parts 48 and 49 joined and held in arcuate alignment as by a bridge 50. The locking slide is shown in its released position in Fig. 2 but when it is advanced in a counter-clockwise direction, the ends of its parts 48 and 49 will, as may be seen in Fig. 4, move behind the fingers 46 of the plungers 35 and 43 in the manner of a latch bolt to lock them against inward movement.

We claim:

1. A timing device comprising a watch case, an horological movement therein, a visible dial in the case with numerical readings arranged in counter-clockwise order from a zero position, a hand driven by said movement over said dial, means operable from the exterior of the case to set the hand away from zero position, separate means operable from the exterior of the case to return the hand to zero, and means operable upon a single movement to latch both hand setting means against actuation.

2. A timing device comprising a watch case, an horological movement therein, a visible dial in the case with numerical readings arranged in counter-clockwise order from a zero position, a hand driven by said movement over said dial, a plunger depressible from the exterior of the case to set the hand away from zero position, a second plunger operable from the exterior of the case to return the hand to zero from any position, and a single latch means disposed within the case with a part projecting therefrom for preventing accidental depression of both said plungers.

3. A timing device comprising a Watch case, an horological movement therein, a visible dial in the case with numerical readings arranged in counter-clockwise order from a zero position, a hand driven by said movement over said dial, a plunger depressible from the exterior periphery of the case to set the hand away from zero position a predetermined distance upon each full depression of the plunger, a second plunger operable from the exterior of the case and spaced peripherally from the first plunger to return the hand to Zero from any position, and an arcuate member within the case slidably operable from the exterior of the case to latch both plungers against depression.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

